We are only as beautiful as we are in our ugliest moments.
The true measure of beauty is nothing external; it is something found deep within our core and is determined by how gracefully and lovingly we handle ourselves when in the midst of messy, screwed-up scenarios where it would otherwise be all too easy to revert to a more base level of operating. Can we override our more dysfunctional responses and connect with the love in our hearts by displaying softness and kindness in these kinds of situations? Will we bring Beauty to bear when faced with The Beast? This is the mark of true loveliness on a soul-level – everything else is superficial.
Mourning Dove – image credit naturespicsonline.com
It all began with the doves a few weeks ago just as Venus prepared to station retrograde. I’d go out for an early morning run and find them constantly in my path, their wings whistling in the air as I accidentally disrupted their leisurely saunterings along my scenic post-sunrise route. I’ve always had an affinity for doves being a native of Venus – these birds are beloved by her and according to myth are even said to draw her chariot. As a child, I somehow figured out how to cup my hands a certain way and blow between my thumbs to imitate their call….whenever I hear their plaintive cries, I often greet them with a returned call or two in reply.
Then they started appearing at my bird feeder from out nowhere. True, they had previously been sporadically infrequent visitors, but now they began arriving with daily consistency even going so far as to fly atop my small suction-cup window feeder and stare in at me through the glass…..repeatedly. They were far too large to eat from its trough and so had been mostly relying on the spillage from the smaller birds for sustenance. Charmed by their antics, I decided to make a daily practice of putting out an Offering of seed specifically for them on my stone patio and watched with delight as they returned again and again, bringing several of their friends with them to share in the feast. It was during a particularly hot and dry stretch of weather that I looked at them one day and had the epiphany they would also like some water, so I rummaged through my cupboards for a large and shallow tupperware lid that I could turn upside down and fill in order to provide them with some refreshment. They flew off to the nearby tulip tree as I exited the house with this impromptu birdbath in hand and watched me intently as I began filling it with the garden hose. I finished, closed off the tap, and turned to address them – “This is for you,” I stated, and returned inside to observe. It took them just a few moments to come over and drink gratefully from the lid, so I’ve continued to keep it there and filled until I’m able to source a proper birdbath for them – they sure do seem to appreciate this, as do the other small critters (chipmunks, finches, et al) that come to visit me!
The coolest part, though, was getting very literal spiritual validation of their gratitude. On another morning run after all of this, I slowed my pace in order to gaze at a freshly hayed field, the aroma filling my nostrils with heady, verdant delight as I inhaled deeply. My gaze went down to my feet when less than a foot and a half before me laid….a lone dove feather! It was about four inches in length and perfectly formed, the tell tale shade of grey making it distinctly identifiable. I smiled and brought it home with me, convinced it must surely be a symbolic token of their affection. If there had been any doubt about this, just days later while watering my vegetables I came across another dove feather that was almost exactly the same in size, color, and appearance – it had once again been found right in front of my feet when I looked down, as if it had just been placed there. I will be tickled with joy should I find a third!
Now it dawned on me that I have been extremely and unusually fortunate during this particular Venus retrograde cycle – the pentacles have been flowing in, my veggie garden has been gifting me constantly with beautiful, delicious, and nutritious produce, and I even re-established a relationship with a Scorpio girlfriend from 20 years ago whom I had lost contact with during the chaotic years of my youth after she moved halfway across the country. The funny thing was I had been thinking about her intermittently over the last year or so, as my younger sister had actually moved out to the same state my Scorp GF had relocated to. But it took Venus retrograde to facilitate an actual reconnection – this is what can happen when you have 3 different levels of transiting Venus/Uranus activity hitting your chart all at the same time, LOL! With Venus backtracking, it would only be fitting that an old friend would suddenly pop out of the clear blue sky…! Needless to say, all of these blessings have caused me to feel as if I must have somehow gotten myself in Venus’ good graces through tending to her beloved doves – I feel especially grateful because I know just how temperamental this planet can sometime be when in its retrograde state, and have certainly heard more than enough tales of woe from others who have been having a much rougher go of it than I.
I think it’s important to consider the power symbolic acts of kindness, gratitude, and devotion have to induce a positive energetic resonance in our lives – especially when we see ourselves headed into a possibly iffy transit period. It’s like bringing our A-game to the match. Mind you, I had no ulterior motives whatsoever in doing what I did and certainly wasn’t looking to ingratiate myself to Venus per se; I just did what came natural to me in taking care of the critters that seemed to be reaching out to me for some TLC. If we become more mindful of the little, everyday ways we can put good vibes out into The Universe with a kind word or deed, there is a good chance they will be returned to us many times over ❤
I was discussing retrograding Venus-in-Virgo squaring Saturn-in-Scorpio matters of the heart with a girlfriend last night when I found myself trying to put things into perspective for her by dispensing the advice not to take things too seriously re: her current love interest. It was then, of course, the imaginary juke box in my head decided to fire up with this little ditty, LOL – it’s a sort pop-y one-hit wonder from circa the late 90’s, so don’t be surprised if you’ve never heard it before:
How perfect for the current astro! She was overanalyzing things (again) and getting way ahead of herself about where the relationship was/wasn’t going, so I kind of had to pull a “full stop” on her and jam on the brakes a bit, LOL. You may recall back at the beginning of the year that I outlined in my newsletter how the outset of this retrograde has the ability to cause us to re-evaluate relationships with a more critical eye, and that while healthy discernment does play a role in keeping us safe from any proverbial Trojan Horses, the old saying about “looking a gift horse in the mouth” does come to mind.
So why make more out of it (meaning, a relationship) than it is by turning it into A Big Deal? Not necessarily in the sense of getting more of a commitment out of a partner by defining dealbreakers or through requiring a more serious level of intimacy (though that’s certainly possible under this astro), but why not practice just being in the moment and appreciating a relationship for what it is in the now rather than …Read More…
Proof that Pluto does indeed have a heart! Image comes courtesy of the New Horizons Spacecraft @ NASA, which made a close approach to Pluto on 7/14/2015.
Well this news certainly comes as no surprise to any Venus/Pluto native, LOL!
The high-functioning Venus/Pluto heart beats powerfully – its love goes deeper than even the most yawning of subterranean chasms. For it has been consecrated many times over by offerings made upon on a funeral pyre; these dying rites serving to transform the love nature into a truly supernatural force. The Venusian Phoenix has made multiple journeys within to illuminate and vanquish its relationship demons, these acts serving to consecrate a heart that may have previously resided in the shadow of ignorance, or that might have even committed a multitude of sins. Venus/Pluto love swallows you whole with its intensity – it will drag you through the territory of obsession and compulsion, force you to get “down in it”, suck you into the undertow of dysfunction…until you arrive at the threshold where decide you’ve had enough loss and strip it all away to look at the darkness found reflected back to you in the mirror of Another. It is there that you will unearth a treasure trove of insight about the very nature of love itself that will lead you out The Other Side; what it is, what it isn’t, and also how it can be damaged, renewed, or uncovered.
(Hint: it is always found within!)
I have also found, through my own journeys with Venus/Pluto, there is something to the concept of a graceful exit; being able to let go kindly when the time has come. To be fair and loving when you know in your soul that a relationship has hit a point of no return so you both might let go and find love again. Many times when a relationship meets an end, instead of blessing and releasing it can be all too easy to blight. We cannot truly let go if we still hold onto things like anger, bitterness, resentment, or other sundry negative emotion, and I believe the prominent heart-shaped stamp on Pluto’s face can serve as a reminder that even in death it is all about love.
That’s how you do Mars In Libra the high-class way – Boo-ya!
Pay attention to this theme, as it’s active from December of 2013-July of 2014 while Mars visits this sign. It also falls under the “Honing our (mad) social skillz” category – see related post .
Personally I’m pretty psyched about the opportunity to hammer this out, because doesn’t a little more grace & tact make us all better people and the world a better place? It’s why I called Mars in Libra the “Way of the Peaceful Warrior” in my February newsletter!
BTW, If you’re not currently subbed to my monthly newsletter you might want to check it out – on the 1st of each month, you’ll get additional astro-insights not posted on the blog PLUS access to monthly promos and specials that are available ONLY to my subscribers! See the right sidebar & scroll down to join for insider astro & V.I.P. deals.
I chose the Venus De Milo as an archetypal representation for this energy as classical art is quintessential Venus in Capricorn – especially a true masterwork such as this sculptured out of pure, rock-solid, Capricorn-approved marble that provides an enduring symbol of beauty through the ages. It might be worth investigating our visceral response to this image in the wake of its repeated conjunctions to Pluto…Does the resultant “wear and tear” of surviving through thousands of years – minus two broken arms – detract from her appearance and value? Or is she a symbol of loveliness in her current state nonetheless – the hardship, time, and scars only transforming her beauty into something supernatural? The slow state of deterioration adding a certain je ne sais quoi that cannot be replicated……
One might ponder if it is the act of restoring such a masterpiece that profanes and defiles. This brings to mind the concept of wabi-sabi….
I wonder if perhaps we find it easier to accept her as-is because we have not known her any other way. Having no firsthand knowledge of her “before” state, we have nothing to subjectively compare her to. This is where Venus in Capricorn excels – by setting a standard for beauty rather than caving to crumbling self-esteem and the fear that her realness isn’t “good enough”……
Coinciding with Mars’ entrance into “put-on-a-pretty-face” Libra in December, Facebook announced they now offer a more cut-to-the-chase “unfollow” button to replace their “hide all” function. A textbook passive-aggressive, Mars-in-Libra way of dealing with relational conflict on the social networking site, rather than directly “unfriend” someone because their posts continually annoy you, one can use this feature to simply mute their posts on your feed. This way on the surface it still *looks like* all is fine and dandy – even though it really isn’t. This is a classic Mars-in-Libra theme if I ever did see it, including their re-packaging of the “hide all” feature to more directly state its intended purpose for dealing with others.
I have to say I’m not very fond of the basic premise of this kind of thing on principle for a number of reasons. For one, I think it’s easier to practice this sort of “benign” form of navigating relational conflicts than it is to proactively engage in the nitty-gritty work of negotiating potential hotspots a bit more openly. My feeling is that hitting the mute button can actually …Read more…
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